Garment-stretching frame



(No Model.)

F. W. GILROY.

GARMENT STRETUHING FRAME.

No. 537,030. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

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UNITE STATES- PATENT Fries.

GARM ENT-STRETCHI NG FRAM E.

SPEGIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,030, dated April 9, 1895. Application filed March 29, 1894. aerial No. 505,536. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, FLORENCE W. GILROY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have .invented an Improved Garment-Stretching Frame, of which the following is a specification, reference beng had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide a device. for stretching garments, such as drawers, shirts, &c., during the drying process, and it consists in an expansible folding frame upon which the garment may be stretched after having been washed, andthe frame, with the garment hung upon a line for drying.

A device of this character is especially valuable as a household article for use when washing woolen garments and will, to a great extent, obviate the shrinkage which occurs in such woolen articles when washing.

The frame is made of'a contour corresponding to the outline of the garment to be stretched, and in the present case a frame shaped for use in stretching drawers is described, although it will be understood that the shape of the frame may be varied to suit shirts or other garments without departing from my invention. In the accompanying drawings:-Figure 1, is a perspective View of a drawers stretching frame constructed in accordance with my invention showing the frame folded. Fig. 2, is a similar View showing the frame opened, and Figs. 3 and 4, are similar views of details of construction. 7

Referring to the drawings, A, A, represent opposite sections of the frame, each section being of precisely the same construction, comprising a bent Wire form of a contour similar to that of one of the legs of a pair of drawers. At its upper end each section is open, the two ends of the wire of whichit is formed overlapping each other, and one of such ends bein g corrugated, or notched, preferably at regular intervals, as at a, and terminating in a hook like end I). The opposite end of each section terminates in an eye 0, which fits around the corrugated or notched portion of the opposite end and after the drawers have been washed and are ready to be dried and stretched, the-frame is partly opened out and the sections A, A, are-inserted in the opposite legs. The frame is then fully opened out to the position shown in Fig. 2 and then the frame, or rather each section of the frame, may be expanded by simply pushing outward the hook like end of the wire forming each section, forcing the opposite sides of the frame away from each other a sufficient distance to properly stretch the drawers. The corrugated or notched end will be caught and held in the position to which it has been adjusted by the engagement of the proper notch or corrugation'with the eye a on .the opposite end of the wire, and the frame with the drawers, may then be hung up in convenient position on a line by means of the hooks b. p

In order to prevent the folding together of the sections during the drying operation I place upon the section A, a sliding locking device 9 (Fig. 3) having a main cylindrical portion embracing the wire of the section A and an open portion e adapted to fitover the wire of which the section A is formed and thus lock the two together until the drying is complete. The two sections are hinged together by blocks f, which embrace the vertical inner side bars of each section.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the locking portions of the Wires where they engage the eye 0 are shown as corrugated, but they may, if necessary be simply notched, as shown in Fig. 4.

' Having thus described'my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. The combination in a garment stretcher,

of the two frames, each frame being of a shape garment to be stretched, and each frame comprising, central, vertical, parallel bars hinged together and side bars bent to conform to the nating at the upper end of the stretcher and forming an open adjustable top portion, means for adjusting and locking the open ends of the wire, and one end of each Wire terminating in a suspending hook, substantially as specified.

3. The combination in a garment stretcher of the opposite hinged frames, each frame being of a shape corresponding to the contour of one-half of the garment to be stretched, the ends of the wire forming each frame terminating at the upper end of the stretcher and forming an open adjustable top portion, the wire near one end having a series of notches or cor rugations and an eye at the opposite end of the wire adapted to embrace the corrugated or notched portions, substantially as described.

4. The combination in a garment stretcher of two hin ed sections each formed of wire bent into suitable form, a sliding locking device e carried on the upper portion of one section, said locking device having an open per tion, as 6', adapted to engage with the opposite section, substantially as specified.

5. The combination in a garment stretcher, of the two hinged frames, each frame being of a shape corresponding to the contour of onehalf of the garment to be stretched, and each frame comprising central, vertical, parallel bars hinged together and side bars bent to conform to the contour of the garment, an eye 0 formed on one end of the wire of each frame, a hook I) on the opposite end, and a series of notches or corrugations formed on the wire near the hooked end in which said notches or corrugations the eye a is adapted to en gage, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FLORENCE W. GILROY.

\Vitnesscs:

H. GORDON MCCOUCH, LAURA HAYDEN FALENBINE. 

